


Spring Plumage

by Captain_Kinna



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen, Grimlock being a cutie, confused optimus is confused, new paint-jobs, what one dinobot has the others must have
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 19:19:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10669116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Kinna/pseuds/Captain_Kinna
Summary: Odd little thing that was inspired by a memory from when I was a kid.  Grimlock loves learning new things about earth.  He also loves to participating in any way that he can.  What he loves most is when he leaves with something he can show off.





	Spring Plumage

**Author's Note:**

> At one point in my childhood, there was a mix-up with my family and wound up with me getting two Grimlock figures and a lot of pink nail polish. I don't think I need to explain further.

The last of her current collection was complete. At least it would be once the blasted thing finished drying that was. Not the strangest order that she’d filled, but not normal either. Imagine, Easter dinosaurs. She couldn’t stop the chuckle that danced across her lips as she looked through the list of possible orders that she needed to fill up, something that would be a little more profitable, hopefully.

At first, she thought that she was imagining the tap that she heard at her window; she was on the second story after all; but when she heard it for the second time, she had to turn around and see what was going on out there. She near fell out of her chair when she got a look at what was asking for her attention.

There was a robotic tyrannosaurus rex standing out there looking inside as though trying to figure out how to get the window open to get after her.

Inching over to the glass, she was slow in opening the window though her guest didn’t seem bothered in the least. She steeled herself against what might well have been coming her way next.

“Um, excuse me,” she was further surprised to hear in speaking to her this way, “But, why that little Grimlock here pink?”

Her voice failed her for a moment before she finally managed to get something out.

“Um, Easter?” was all that she could really think to answer him.

“Oh,” was the only sound that she received for a moment, “What this Easter?” he then asked, taking her again by surprise.

“It’s basically a day that celebrates spring’s arrival,” hopefully that would be enough to quiet him for a while.

“You paint Grimlock?” he asked, tilting his head to look at her better.

“Yes, I painted Grimlock,” she answered, hoping that he would finally depart, he was blocking the light after all.

He was still standing there, watching her. It was getting creepy. She turned around, looking at him through that opening that the window afforded her. After several minutes of their staring contest, she finally realized what he was asking about.

“You’re joking, right?” she asked hesitantly.

“Me Grimlock not know many jokes, sorry. Oh, me do remember this one that Kup told me, ‘the next statement is true, the previous statement is false’!”

“Rrriiiggghht…” she found herself trailing off, wondering if she’d inhaled too many fumes while she was working on those things today, that had to be what was happening before her, there wasn’t anything else that made sense at this point.

“So, you paint Grimlock now?” he asked, attempting to smile through at her.

Well, if she was going to be going through this hallucination, she might as well go full blast, right?

“I’ll be right down, just wait right there!” she called, picking herself out of her chair.

“Grimlock right here, you just climb on,”

“Yeah… I’m more then a little concerned about slipping and crashing to the ground,” she answered, continued, still convincing herself that she was just something that her head was creating thanks to the fumes that she’d been inhaling that week.

“Ok, Me Grimlock wait here,” he answered, she could actually hear the stupid grin on his face as she made her way through the building.

Outside, she thought that she’d have cleared her head enough that this hallucination would have cleared itself from her head. But no, there was still a giant Tyrannosaurus standing in the middle of her yard.

“So, you paint Grimlock now?” he was asking, looking at her expectantly as he was trying to stay still.

“Um, yeah, I’m going to need a LOT more paint for this project,” she answered, swallowing heavily.

“So, we get more paint then,” this… Grimlock announced, making her jump slightly, “Where we get this paint anyways?” he was getting more confused by the minute.

Might as well find out if this creature was really there already. She wouldn’t be falling multiple stories now.

“Bring your head down here already!” she barked, watching him flinch slightly at the sound of her voice before leaning down to her level.

Reaching after the end of his nose, finding it to be completely solid under her fingers much to her relief. Another few presses and she was able to climb herself onto the back of his neck, thankful that she wasn’t falling to the ground the way that she’d been expecting she would have, thankfully.

“That way,” she announced, pointing toward the road.

“Then Grimlock go!” the Rex announced, starting off at a pace that she wasn’t terribly pleased with. 

Then again, given the size of him, she shouldn’t have been surprised about the speeds he was capable of reaching. For a moment she wondered just what the police would think seeing this running down beside the highway. They’d probably think that they’d finally gone nuts from to much coffee or the like.

“Think you can slow down just a little bit?” she called, trying desperately to hold onto her ride’s back as they continued on their way.

 

 

Sitting there in the parking lot for the store she needed to be at, Grimlock was looking about nervously, trying desperately to keep still while waited for her to return. The humans were looking at him funny, making it even more difficult to keep from squirming as the nice lady had explained to him.

He just needed to shift his weight a little before he fell over completely. Sadly, things didn’t work out the way that they were supposed to. His tail swatted one of the vehicles nearby, setting off the alarm and scaring the daylights out of Grimlock.

“Please, stop making screaming noises, Grimlock get in trouble, or nice lady get in trouble because of Grimlock,” he was whimpering at this point.

 

“Um… would the person responsible for the dinosaur waiting outside kindly report to the front desk. And would the owner of the dark-green Hummer, license plate ‘821 BOF ‘ also report as well?”

Looking up at the sound of the announcement, she found herself feeling worried over what could possibly had gone down without her there to watch.

“Rain Dance?” she heard herself called from a distance, “I thought that I recognized that hideous tattoo you insisted on getting yourself.

Turning around quickly, she found herself being tackled against the nearby wall. Looking down slightly, she saw a mass of black-streaked pink braids and pig-tails before her eyes.

“Hello, Miki,” Rain dance greeted, trying not to give in to the urge to fluff the mass, “Didn’t think that I’d run into you today,”

“Ran out of supplies for the band’s stage number, so guess who gets to run and get everything?”

“The stage developer?” Rain asked, smirking as she watched the look on her friend’s face.

“I walked right into that one,” Miki chuckled, looking out the window, “There’s… a dinosaur… talking at my car…” she commented, growing increasingly concerned.

“Grimlock…” Rain could only groan, feeling her head cracking from everything that had happened that day, “I really don’t need any of this,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“We’d better get out there already,” Miki grumbled, starting out of the building with Rain close behind.

 

“Please, me Grimlock not want to get in trouble with the nice lady that’s going to do his paint for him,” he was pleading, touching the top in hopes that he could quiet the thing down already.

He nearly jumped out of his plating when the car finally stopped screaming with a small beep before he realized that Rain and Miki were standing behind him, “Uh… hello,” he tried, looking between the two of them.

“So, THIS is the being that’s responsible for protecting this planet?” Miki was asking, leaning in closer to keep herself from being over-heard.

“One of them,” Rain answered, shaking her head slightly, “Dare I ask what happened here?”

“Me Grimlock bumped into car here and it started screaming at me,” he answered, looking over his shoulder at the green hummer still parked behind him.

“Easy there, it just can’t understand what you’re saying,” Rain offered, reaching after his nose, “Now, the sooner that I get those paints, the sooner that you’ll get your new plumage,” she added, rubbing him softly.

“What plumage?” Grimlock asked quietly, leaning in gently to the touch.

“In this case, think of it as the colors that you’re currently sporting,” Rain offered, rubbing a bit further.

Grimlock made a noise that she couldn’t understand before backing away and starting looking about himself. Finally he settled himself down between a pair of SUVs and curled around himself ever so slightly.

“Please don’t tell me that you’re moping,” She groaned.

“First, me Grimlock not know what that word means, and second, me going to take nap until you get back. You said that me needed to stay out of trouble. Well, me not get into trouble if me sleeping, should have done in beginning”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Rain muttered, starting to turn around.

“Wait, you guys sleep?” Miki asked, stepping closer to their guest.

“How you think that we get our energy back into us?” he asked from under his tail.

Shaking her head, Rain started back into the store, intent on getting everything together as quickly as she possibly could before temptation showed itself once again.

 

The visit itself had been smooth enough once everything settled itself down, including Grimlock himself, all the looking around had been smooth and easy. Granted that she still hadn’t quite figured out just how she was going to carry everything back to the house before the others returned for dinner. Thankfully she didn’t need to do the cooking this time around, but things were going to get complicated really quick once they saw their ‘guest’ for the day. Things were going to get interesting quickly.

Standing there, watching the giant metal creature snoozing there in the parking lot, taking up at least three parking spaces, if not six from where she was standing. What was she going to do about waking the big fellow from his nap without destroying things around him.

“Grim?” she started, stepping closer in hopes of waking him gently, “I got the paints,”

Her ride’s head was up as soon as the words had left her mouth, making her jump slightly. He seemed to be getting his head together right then. She waited as best that she could, given the looks that they were receiving from everyone passing them.

“That was good nap!” Grimlock announced, stretching himself and giving himself a small shake, “Grimlock getting new plumage now?” he asked, looking at her hopefully.

“After we get back to the house and wash you down a bit,” she answered, looking about the area.

“Wash?” Grimlock asked nervously.

“The paint’ll stay better that way,” she answered, rubbing his nose lightly.

Grimlock nodded as he moved about carefully around her before nosing against her shoulder. Looking up at him, she thought that she might have finally figured out how she might get everything home properly.

“Lower your head a little more, would you please?” she tried, reaching up slightly.

Grimlock blinked once before dipping his head as far down as he possibly could, which wasn’t a great deal.

Climbing up as best that she could, hanging the bags carefully from his teeth before settling herself comfortably as she possibly could considering.

“Got everything down there?” she asked, holding on tightly through the short shake of his head, “Good, now, let’s get going, shall we?” she added, pointing toward their destination, “Onward!”

Grimlock turned himself slightly before taking the first steps toward her home.

 

Setting her back down, Grimlock started trying to figure out where he should settle himself for the painting portion of this day.

“Just relax, these are going to need to be mixed after I get them open,” Rain explained, showing off the inside to her companion, “And then of coarse there’s the matter of your bath before we can even think about applying your new paint,” watching him shudder ever-so-slightly.

There was something to be said about living with someone that decorates cars for their living, though she was going to be owing her deeply after this was finished. Though she definitely had to hand it to her canvas was handling himself rather well considering how unsettled he’d felt about getting bathed in the first place.

“You’re handling this better then I was anticipated,” she mused, scrubbing lightly at his neck.

“Spray from other bath stings more,” Grimlock answered, shuddering his optics as she moved higher. 

She listened to the grumbling noises that he was making throughout entire matter, his face telling her that he was relaxed despite his earlier unease.

“Just one more rinse and we’ll be able to paint you once you’re dry,” Rain announced, reaching after the hose once again, “Don’t move now,”

Grimlock was clearly doing his very best to keep himself from rolling around in the newly formed mud under him. Though she couldn’t fault someone that still carried a child’s energy for wanting the chance to play. She could already see the mud caking over the pinks and purples that she would be planting across him shortly.

 

 

“You’re telling me though, that you’ve never actually gotten yourself repainted, ever?” Rain was asking, applying the sealant to her work.

Grimlock had done an incredible job of behaving himself throughout this whole matter. Thankfully, they were almost finished with everything and he’d be able to move about freely once again. And she would be able to get on with making her commissions already.

“Grimlock get paint touched up, but putting new colors on never cross Me head,” he answered, almost purring under the attention from the brush.

“Well, now it has. And in the future, it’s ‘crossed my mind’,” she offered, stepping away to look over everything that had been finished over, “You look good overall,” she announced, nodding for her satisfaction, “Just a few minutes to finish drying and everything should be good to go,”

Grimlock, on his own account was fascinated with trying to have a look at himself without finding any reflective surface about. It would have been cute if she weren’t worried about him crashing into something, notably the house.

“Grim, Grim, please, we’ll find you somewhere that you can have a look over yourself, just don’t spin around like that, please…”

Having stopped himself dead in his tracks, Grimlock glanced over at Rain before moving to hide his face slightly.

Rain couldn’t stop the snort of laughter from falling from her lips as she started over toward the garage after the largest piece of shiny metal that she could possibly drag outside unaided. She could hear him shuffle himself about outside, she hoped that he wasn’t getting himself into anything that would be too difficult for her to clean up herself.

“You are alright in there?” she heard him asking from the other side of the walls.

“Working on dragging something outside for you. Just give me another minute and you’ll be able to look at yourself better,” she answered, making progress at least.

Several minutes later and much sweat loss, she was able to show her commission what he now looked like at this point. Seeing a t-rex examining themselves in a mirror of sorts was something that she’d never thought that she’d actually see in her lifetime. It was rather cute, really.

“Me Grimlock look good like this?” he asked, looking over at her again.

“Yes, Grimlock looks good like that,” she answered, feeling herself warming over with pride over the reaction she was receiving in regard to her work.

She didn’t have very long to enjoy the feeling as there was soon a massive shadow passing overhead, making her nearly jump from her skin. Watching the metal creature landing on the garage roof, there was a short exchange between the two before Grimlock turned his attention back to Rain.

“Him-Swoop wondering if you could give him new plumage to,” Grimlock said, motioning to the pterodactyl beside him.

“Me Swoop want new colors too,” he added, flapping his wings.

“Greattt….” Rain Dance trailed off, feeling herself becoming somewhat overwhelmed with everything happening around her.

She barely had the time to think things over before there was further shaking overtook the ground underneath her feet. Grimlock looked over without worry, watching his siblings drawing closer. She noticed that there was a slight swishing to his tail as he continued watching their approach.

Once they were there, she watched them gather around their brother, their attention completely focused on his plating.

“Grimlock look funny!” she heard the Apatosaurus snort, nosing at what he could.

“Me Grimlock not look funny! Me Grimlock now have spring plumage, unlike rest of you!” he shot back, sticking his nose into the air as the rest of them looked on.

“How Grimlock get new colors?” she heard the triceratops asking, nearly scratching the work that had just been finished.

“Nice human over there put them on for me,” Grimlock answered, pointing over at Rain Dance, “She gunna do Swoop’s next. Do rest of yours if you ask nice enough,”

Oh great, now she was going to have four additional dinos to repaint instead of just one. Well this day really couldn’t get any weirder after everything that she’d already been through.

She blinked, feeling the ground shake slightly before she found herself looking at the faces of four very enthusiastic dinosaurs. This wasn’t going to end well for her wallet.

They were drawing in closer already. It wasn’t looking good for her bones either.

“Humans not good for dinobot snuggles, remember?” she heard Grimlock announce, getting the rest of them back away somewhat, “They make good scratchies!” he added, turning their attention back to Rain once again.

The triceratops was the first to touch against her, attempting to nuzzle against her as softly as he possibly could. She was still knocked backward, nearly falling to the ground in the process.

“Me Swoop want pretty colors from water!” 

“Me Snarl want leaf colors!”

“Me Slag want colors like Him Grimlock, but more the darker one,”

“Me Sludge want colors like little pretty flowers that look up at sky,” 

This was going to flipping bankrupt her wallet within hours at this rate.

“Alright, but one of you is going to have to carry me back to the store before I can even think about getting started with anyone here!” she announced, looking between the lot of them.

“Me Slag carry little human to place,” the triceratops announced, pushing his way to the front of the group and lowering his head for her to climb on.

Looking him over quickly, she tried figure out the best way she could possibly get herself up there without injuring anything. It was looking as though this wasn’t going to get done at any point soon.

Grimlock reached through his brothers, picking her up and lifting her onto Slag’s back. She needed a moment to recover herself before they could even begin moving toward the store, though her ride seemed to be having other ideas.

Slag was already moving in the direction that had been indicated before. She was starting to slide off and she didn’t think that she would survive the fall.

Thankfully, Grimlock stopped him before that could happen, helping her right herself before allowing them to begin on their way onward.

 

The second trip hadn’t been any easier on her wallet, though at the very least, there hadn’t been more chaos then the first time around. And the horns had proven helpful in carrying the paint buckets back home once again.

Looking over the group before her once again, she could only hope that she wouldn’t find herself squished before the day was over, there were going to be enough opportunities for that as it was. 

Grimlock was nearby throughout everything, thankfully. The rest of the group were more then happy, it seemed, to listen to whatever the fellow said for them to be doing. At least that had saved her already, clumsy as these fellows all were by comparison.

“Them looking gooder,” Grimlock noted, looking his group over carefully.

“Grim, sweetie, gooder isn’t really a word, try ‘better’ next time around,” Rain offered, finishing applying the sealant over Slug’s back.

“Better, this feels better!” Snarl announced, rearing himself up slightly before shaking the ground under everyone’s feet.

“Easy there, big guy,” Rain chuckled, regaining herself and rubbing the stegosaurus’ nose.

There was more rumbling under foot, though she was sure that the ones before her were standing otherwise still beside one another. This wasn’t sitting well at all…

“There you all are!” she could here the deep voice belonging to the probable source of the shaking that she’d been and still was experiencing.

Turning around to have herself a look at the source of said voice. She’d seen him on television before, try finding someone on this dirt-ball that hadn’t right? But in person though, that was another matter entirely. It had never crossed her mind that he wasn’t even the largest of the lot. It probably should have, but TV wasn’t her highest priority.

“I am presuming that you would be the one known as Optimus Prime? Correct?” Rain was doing her best to keep herself together while looking up at the giants before her.

“And by chance, you would be?” he asked, leaning down in what she was guessing was an attempt at making himself less intimidating. She wished that she could tell him that it was working.

“Name’s Raindance Jefferson. Please don’t laugh. Yes, my parents were a set of hippies,” 

She watched him look over at the black and white one beside him.

“Jazz, just what are ‘hippies’?”

“Oh man, Prime, that’s going to take some explaining, and a seat probably. They’re good folks though,” she listened to him trying not to laugh, either at the question or the answer, she couldn’t really be sure which at the moment.

“None the less, I’m impressed that you managed to handle the five of them this well,” Optimus was saying to her.

“You say that as though it’s hard,” she answered, half laughing herself, “You just need to know how to talk to them,”

Looking between her and the Dinobots standing around one another looking over their new paint-jobs.

“It’s impressive none the less,” Optimus was saying, drawing her attention back to himself, “Taking into account what I know about the currency that your planet, this wasn’t cheap in the least.”

“It wasn’t, but what can you do, right?” was all that she could really offer after the day that she’d already had.

“I’ll make arrangements with someone to compensate you for your materials and time,” he was adding, somehow much closer then she’d thought was possible in such a short span.

She shouldn’t have been this startled at everything happening around her, but here she was, starting to feel overwhelmed with the presence of these titans to argue anything.

“All of you, let’s get going back to base before something else happens around here,” Optimus was announcing, picking himself up and turning toward his companion, “And try to keep an optic on them this time, Jazz,” resting a hand atop the head of one of the dinos.

“It’s not like they hurt anything while they were out here,” Jazz was laughing, answering the requests he was receiving for rubs and the like.

“Yes, but that doesn’t stop accidents from happening,”

She watched Grimlock moving in closer to Optimus before pushing in after the same attention that his brothers were receiving then. She fought the urge to laugh at the sight of the giant being nearly getting himself knocked to the ground by something larger looking for his attention.

“Don’t start with this out here, you’ll end up damaging something again!” Optimus was trying, Grimlock unconcerned with this though.

“Grimlock, please,” Rain started, catching his attention once again, “I don’t think he’s enjoying that right now,”

Grimlock looked back down at Optimus before hunkering himself down to her relative level. She could feel the warmth coming off him once again and could almost see a smile forming there on his features.

“You paint Dinobots’ summer plumage then?” he asked, taking her completely by surprise.

“Uhhh…” was all that she could muster out before looking over at Optimus.

“If that is the case for the future, we’ll see that you’re compensated as well,” he added, offering her a small nod.

“That’s good I suppose. I was starting to hear my wallet screaming in terror,” Rain answered flatly.

“I’m sorry for any distress that they might have caused while under your care,” Optimus offered before turning and starting off.

“Just keep Grimmy away from any Hummers you happen run into!” she called, watching everyone other then Grimlock turn around in confusion.

“Me Grimlock say me sorry!” he called back, confusing the others further and leaving Raindance laughing.

**Author's Note:**

> There's one thing about Grim from gen. one for me was that he seemed as though he could have been very smart if given an education. 'Grimlocl's new brain' gave us a sort of look at that idea. anyways, hope that you enjoyed reading Grimie being a cutie patootie.


End file.
